This kind of chain drive is known e.g. from DE 19719732 C1. It is a timing chain drive of an internal combustion engine, in the case of which a timing chain couples the crankshaft to the camshaft. In the area of the tight span, a guide rail is arranged, which comprises two slide sections arranged at a non-guided distance from one another. This means that, in a section between the two slide sections, the chain backs of the timing chain do not abut. The two slide sections are interconnected by means of a support. The slide sections are made of a wear-resistant plastic material, whereas the support is made of heavy-duty polyamide with fiber addition. This aims at achieving functional chain guidance, which contributes to a reduction of weight and to a reduction of the amount of material used. In the slack span of the chain drive, a tensioning rail is provided, whose curvature can change as the drive chain wears, whereby a chain stretch of the drive chain during its service life is compensated for. Frequently, also pivotably arranged tensioning rails are used, which are pressed against the slack span of the drive chain by means of a chain tensioner.
Another slide element for reducing the manufacturing effort and the friction is known from DE 102007026939 A1. The sliding-contact surface has recessed sections, whereby it is subdivided into abutting and non-abutting sections.
Although the known devices already provide good effects as regards a reduction of friction, they do not yet represent suitable measures with respect to highly dynamic chain drives for internal combustion engines, so as to cope also with the vibration behavior of these chain drives.